The Nichols and Dimez Show

Juan Leija | Building Onnit Gym: Unconventional Fitness, Aubrey Marcus, and Business Wisdom

Chris Nichols Episode 81

Juan Leija is the owner of iconic Onnit Gym in Austin, TX and a Fitness & Strength Coach. He is one of the first team members of supplement and fitness brand, Onnit, alongside Aubrey Marcus and Joe Rogan. In this conversation, we discuss Juan’s role in the early days of building Onnit, his relationship with Aubrey Marcus, and the dynamic journey of Onnit Gym throughout various changes in the business over the years. We also talk about his “unconventional” fitness approach - with a concentration on kettlebells and other non-traditional tools, programming, biggest takeaways from running a gym, entrepreneurial lessons learned and what’s ahead. 

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
03:09 - Background with Onnit & Onnit Gym 
14:25 - Relationship with Aubrey Marcus
16:00 - MMA Background 
20:15 - Onnit Gym’s Role for Brand Marketing, Joe Rogan & Sponsored Athletes (Dustin Poirier, Mighty Mouse, Cowboy Cerrone..)
24:25 - Acquisition Impact, Gym Growth Strategy 
33:49 - Biggest takeaways from running a gym
36:10 - Unconventional fitness approach, kettlebells, & personal branding
40:14 - Programming: Mobility, Strength, Conditioning; Content Marketing strategy 
45:32 - Biggest Entrepreneurial Challenge
48:39 - Next Big Goal, Total Human Optimization, Entrepreneur life hack

Follow Juan Leija: 
Juan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/juannit_247/ 
Website: https://www.juanleija.com/

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